Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: the latest Big New Video Game is having serious server issues, and people who spent $US60 can’t access everything they paid for.
No, I’m not talking about Diablo III, SimCity, NBA 2K15 or Battlefield 4. This time it’s Sony’s new racer for PlayStation 4, DriveClub, which has been plagued by server issues since it came out last week. Although the game can be played offline, the main selling point is connectivity — even the name refers to clubs of players who can race and compete together online. So with the servers down, DriveClub is crippled.
And now, almost a week after release, DriveClub‘s online features are still mostly inaccessible, to the point where heaps and heaps of gamers on forums and social media are asking Sony for a refund. Sony has not yet responded to any of these requests. (We’ve reached out to them to ask about any potential refund plans too.)
For their part, Sony appears to be working hard on fixing DriveClub‘s issues: they have been updating the game frequently in an attempt to stabilise the servers, and game director Paul Rustchynsky has been answering questions and addressing fans on Twitter since this started. But it’s yet another example of a bothersome industry trend — how many more games will launch with persistent issues like this?
Comments
26 responses to “Big Game Launches. Has Server Problems. Again.”
Could have solved the issue so easily with a short weekend beta plus free car for participation before launch
Apparently the issue is NOT the servers, it’s with the game code. There’s also a new update incoming today, and they’re considering all their options, including compensating people.
http://www.playstationtrophies.org/news/news-14588-DriveClub-Dev-Considers-Offering-Compensation-to-Frustrated-Players.html
Yep its not due to numbers or volume of people trying to connect to their servers like most of the examples cited in the article but simply due to an issue with the servers code.
Apparently the issue is with Playstation… Xbox One doesn’t seem to have this problem with the far superior Forza Horizon2
oh… GTFO you idiot… posts like this aren’t necessary… even if you’re joking…
Because none of those games had Beta’s
Simcity did, so did Battlefield 4 both had beta and/or demos… and didnt Diablo III have a large amount of closed beta time? PS actually Diablo III had a huge chunk of Act One playable as a beta/demo as well.
pretty sure that was sarcasm you missed there, the implication being that they had betas and it didn’t help them, what difference would it have made with driveclub
Sarcasm is hard in text. Poe’s law kicks in way too quickly.
It doesnt matter if its the new apple update, or latest games these servers problems happen, complaining about them these days is nothing but first-world-problem of the highest order. yet the strangest thing is Destiny launch was near flawless, all things considered, instead of celebrating that the community decided to rip the game apart… in short people complain about everything and anything these days.
So you’re saying that A) I shouldn’t complain that I’m being ripped off because starving children in Africa, B) we should just accept that games don’t work properly at launch because publishers/developers continue to make the same obvious mistake over and over and C) Destiny was beyond critism because it worked for the most part (except the bit where tons of people who paid full retail price for a new game couldn’t connect and their support was borderline non-existant. Although plenty of people did complement how stable the launch was, but the bulk of their playerbase are FPS players who don’t have enough experience to understand how well it went relative to most MMORPGs/always on games).
You’re just being dismissive of problems that don’t matter to you in a way that’s a pretty hostile jab at literally everyone else in the world. Nobody is asking for your sympathy here but not caring about other people’s problems to the point where you attack other people for voicing their frustration doesn’t make you better than anybody. Being patient is generally a good thing but patience isn’t the same as letting publishers/developers walk all over you by charging $90 for a game that, quite predictably, doesn’t deliver the experience promised.
literally every game I have played this year has server issues at launch, phone update, launch of a popular website, to say nothing of playing MMO’s and the chaos that patch day brings etc etc… all these things have issues. They shouldnt happen but they do, sure like everyone else I get upset when I let the hype get the better of me and feel disappointed when I cant play what I just spent money on… but guess what doesnt matter if it is an apple update, MMO patch day or new game, there is one sure way not to get bitten by server issues.,, WAIT. Simple really, just wait a day or two. Saves the stress, saves the shaking-your-fist at massive global companies who dont care and wont change, keeps the internet of even more hotair that it alreadys has/needs
So yes first world problem. Dont like server issues, that affect basically EVERYTHING… Expect the worse (for sometimes like Destiny you will be surprised) and wait.
I think the point he was making is that when a person purchases a game at launch, especially after months of hype from a publisher, they’re not purchasing it to simply wait while it’s fixed. A publisher sells you a game and a promise that it can be played. I think as a consumer and paying for the product, we have every right to complain when they fail to deliver on this.
If I bought this game I would be annoyed. Its more to do with games basically requiring you to be online. If you take away the online features as this game has done because of the server issues, what are you left with ? You paid full price for a new game and half of the content is missing at launch because of an issue that has nothing to do with you. There are a lot of entitled people complaining about nothing on the internet but there is also legitimate criticism as well
I bought Diablo III I couldnt play it at all in the first week, nothing, not at all. I was really upset and guess what it is now one of my favourite games, because a game doesnt time out. At the time unlike everyone who suddenly thought a zombie apocalypse was upon us and acted like spoilt babies who had their guns stolen, I just waited. Its not like if they dont fix it this week you have paid money for nothing forever, you have just paid money for something you cant use for one week,
That isn’t the best comparison as Diablo is a huge selling franchise compared to Driveclub. I bought Brink at launch. It was an enjoyable game but the mulitplayer had so many issues at launch and when they did get around to fixing all the problems several weeks later….no one was playing. They eventually added bot support but by then it was too late and the majority of people had moved on to something else.
I am in agreement with you that there are entitled people who complain about nothing but there is legitimate criticism.
People complain about problems and don’t say much when things operate as they’re fucking supposed to. Breaking news up next: ‘Bad things happen to good people, and life isn’t fair’.
I really don’t care how well you roast the beans in a cup of coffee, how big the mug is, how perfect the temperature is, how low your price, or how friendly your service… if you decided to garnish it by stirring it with a lump of dog shit, I’m going to complain.
Destiny has flaws. Big, disappointing ones. ‘Credit where credit is due’ is fine, but people are generally more concerned about fixing what’s broke compared to praising what they didn’t fuck up, because it’s affecting them more. And while at least server issues usually get ironed out within days to weeks, Destiny’s flaws run much, much deeper than that, with no fix visible on the horizon.
With all the online problems DriveClub’s having, there are two things I really have to praise the developers for, and they are that there’s no racing line and no rewind feature. Ever since Forza came out every racing sim I can think of has had one or both of these features. I know there’s an option to use them or not, but Evolution had the balls to not even give players the option. Kudos to them.
Why get kudos for that? Why not include them for people who want them?
Why would you want them? In my opinion they are by far the worst features to ever be introduced to racing games.
Nah I think turning the racing line on for practice mode to teach people racing lines and proper breaking is a good thing. The amount of people breaking through and out of a corner on real roads, well the last thing I want is kids learning bad habits on their Sony before getting a licence.
What a ridiculous argument. You don’t like them so why are they even included??
It gives you the bloody option to turn them off and doesn’t impact you at all.
I personally use braking line for when I’m drifting and I occasionally use it while racing. That doesn’t mean I use it as a guide for every corner. I also keep rewind on so if I make a mistake on the last corner I don’t have to replay the entire race. I know a lot of long time forza fans from the forza forums that leave them both on like me.
Saying Drive club “has the balls” to leave features out is hilarious. There’s a reason FH2 is blowing it out of the water.
Well, that’s one good thing you can give Destiny. It has been a pretty smooth launch for there servers. Shame about the story.
*cough* just buy Forza Horizon 2 instead *cough*
Well I’ve had the game since last Thursday and have only connected to the servers a few times yesterday being Monday.
It’s not the end of the world, just a bit bothersome. They will sort it out soon enough. The thing the disappointed me was there is no reply mode. bummer that one.
oh well.
Oh I forgot, the suicidal car AI man it’s like smash up derby.
I think the biggest complainers are the teens and twenty something’s to them everything is such a big deal!
Then again look at me with the above complaints
ehhh
@cookienut : Not sure how well that would work on a PS4…
I’m interested in getting the game, I don’t really mind that the online component is down but based on it’s offline modes is it fun? Does it merit a purchase ☺